Humidifying apparatus



Nov. 2,1965 w. LIBEN 3,215,416-

HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS Filed June '7, 1962 2 Sheets-She 1 To Warez LINE HHIIIIIIIIIII III SOLENOID J ALVE f Z0 42 f v 8 5 "w INVENTOR. Halli/1.6. g J2 J3 WILLIAM LIBEN 01" 1 0E VWXM FIG 3 BLowE/Z CournoL Dav/cs A TTOENEY Nov. 2, 1965 w. LIBEN 3,215,416

HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS Filed June 7, 1962 2 sheets sheet 2 60 1 17 6 3 /(7 4' @E m p 1 F T T ELI-Bi FURNACE HoT/quz I I was" my 6s 7 39 5e INVENTOR. no 1 AC. 3 F 5 I 5 BY WILL/AM LIBEN A TTORNEY United States Patent 3,215,416 HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS William Liben, 11404 Monticello Ave.,

' Silver Spring, Md.

Filed June 7, 1962, Ser. No. 200,794 4 Claims. (Cl. 261-442) This invention relates to humidifying apparatus, and more particularly to a humidifying device adapted for use in hot air furnaces of the type employing a motordriven blower.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved humidifier for a hot air furnace, said humidifier being very simple in construction, being easy to install, and operating automatically when the blower associated with the furnace is energized.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved humidifier for a warm air furnace system, or for any other system where it is required at times to add water vapor or other vapor material to the air, the humidifier being inexpensive to fabricate, being relatively compact in size, having a minimum number of moving parts, and being easy to maintain in operating condition.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved liquid vaporizing apparatus which may be used to control the relative humidity in any enclosed space, such as a warm air furnace plenum, a sickroom, a textile weaving room, or the like, and may also be employed as a means to vaporize volatile additives contained in water, whereby to chemically treat room air, for example, to remove undesirable odors or to add desirable ones.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved electrically heated humidifier unit for use in a warm air furnace system, or in a similar system, to automatically vaporize water and supply it to the Warm air when the associated blower becomes energized, the unit requiring relatively little attention for proper operation, and requiring practically no adjustments after it has been placed in operation.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken through the wall of a warm air furnace plenum provided with an improved humidifier apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an electrical wiring diagram of a humidifier system employing a humidifying unit generally similar to that shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, but including certain modifications.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view similar to FIGURE 1, but showing a modified form of humidifying unit constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 5--5 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is an electrical wiring diagram of a furnace humidifier system employing the humidifier unit of FIGURES 4 and 5.

-Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, 11 generally designates a humidifying unit constructed according to the present invention. The unit 11 comprises a main supporting member 12 of refractory insulating material such as ceramic material or suitably heat-resistant plastic material. The supporting member 12 may be of generally right-angled 3,215,416 Patented Nov. 2, 1965 shape, as shown, comprising the vertical walls 13 and 14 disposed at right angles to each other.

The supporting member 12 is adapted to be secured inside the wall 15 of a hot air furnace plenum 16 adjacent to and covering an aperture 17 formed in said wall 15. Thus, the vertical wall 14 is secured to the inside of furnace wall 15 by means of a plurality of fastening screws 18 so that it covers the aperture 17.

Secured to the wall 13 and extending parallel to the wall 14 is the laminated core 19 of an inductor comprising a primary coil 20 wound on the core and disposed adjacent wall 13, as shown in FIGURE 2. Surrounding the core 19 is a closed conduit loop 21 comprising a single turn which is short-circuited by brazing or welding same at 22, as shown in FIGURE '2. The conduit loop 21 has a horizontal inlet end 23 which extends through wall 14 and is clamped thereto by opposing clamping nuts 24 and 25 threadedly engaged thereon. Said conduit loop 21 also has a horizontal outlet end 26.

Designated at 27 is an air flow-responsive flap valve member which is of generally L-shaped configuration and comprises a vertical leg 28 and a horizontal leg 29. The vertical leg 28 is formed at its top end with a hinge sleeve 30 which is rotatably supported on a horizontal bolt 31 secured to the top inner corner of support wall 13 and extending parallel to wall 14. Mounted on the horizontal leg 29 is a weight block 32 of heavy metal, biasing the flap valve 27 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 1. A valve pad 33, of rubber or other suitable heat-resistant resilient deformable material is secured on the leg 28 and is normally sealingly held against the end of conduit element 26 by the biasing force of weight 32.

The leg 29 is of substantial horizontal area, so that the force of the blower discharge of the furnace, acting on said area, is sufficient to overcome the biasing force of weight 32 and swing the flap valve 27 in a counterclockwise direction, as shown in dotted view in FIGURE 1, unsealing the conduit element 26.

The inlet conduit element 23 is connected to a Water supply conduit 34 through a manually adjustable control valve 35 and a length of flexible, electrically nonconducting tubing 36. The flexible tube 36 is connected to the conduit element 23 by a conventional union coupling member 37 having a knurled exterior surface, so that it can be manually rotated.

The manually rotatable union coupling member 37 may be easily disengaged from the end of conduit element 23 to allow a flexible wire or other flexible reaming implement to be inserted through the loop 21 for removing sediment therefrom whenever required.

When the primary winding 20 is energized from a source of alternating current, a relatively high current is induced in the short-circuited secondary loop 21, causing its temperature to rise to a value suflicient to vaporize the water contained therein. As will be presently explained, the primary winding 20 is energized concurrently with the energization of the furnace blower, whereby the furnace hot air flow swings the flap valve 27 to open position and allows the water vapor to mix with the hot air, providing the desired humidification of the heating air.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the blower motor 38 is connected across a pair of supply wires 39 and 40, which are connected in turn to an alternating current supply source through a conventional control switch 41 operated by the furnace control system. One terminal lead 42 of primary winding 20 is connected to supply wire 39. The opposite terminal lead 43 of said primary winding is connected to one of the stationary contacts 44 of a manually operated single-pole, doublethrow switch 45. The pole of said switch is connected by a wire 46 to the supply wire 40.

A lead wire 47 connects the remaining stationary contact 48 of switch 45 to an intermediate tap on primary winding 20, enabling the supply voltage to be at times applied to a reduced portion of primary winding 20, whereby to substantially increase the heating current induced in the loop 21, for the purpose of burning out mineral deposits which may have accumulated in the loop.

As an alternative to the use of the flap valve 27 of FIGURES 1 and 2, the arrangement of FIGURE 3 cm ploys a solenoid valve 49 connected in the water supply line to loop 21.

The solenoid valve 49 is of a type which opens to a degree in accordance with the degree of energization of its operating winding. One terminal of the solenoid winding is connected to the supply wire 39. The other terminal is connected by a wire 50 to the adjustable contact 51 of a potentiometer 52 connected across the supply wires 39 and 40. The adjustable contact 51 is mechanically operated by a conventional humidistat 53 located in the area whose humidity is to be controlled.

With switch 45 in its normal position, as shown in FIGURE 3, when the blower motor 38 becomes energized by the closure of switch 41, primary winding 20 also becomes energized, causing the short-circuited secondary loop 21 to be heated 'by the current induced therein, whereby to vaporize the liquid contained in said loop. The supply of liquid to the loop 21 is regulated in accordance with the demand for humidification detected by the humidistat 53, since the humidistat controls the degree of opening of the solenoid valve 49.

The schematic arrangement of FIGURE 3 employs the same structure as that illustrated in FIGURES l and 2, except that the manually adjustable valve 35 and the flap valve 27 of FIGURES 1 and 2 may be omitted, if so desired.

FIGURES 4, and 6 illustrate a modified form of the present invention wherein a humidifying unit, designated generally at 11', comprises a main supporting member 12' of refractory insulating material which is of right-angled shape, having the vertical walls 13' and 14' disposed at right angles to each other. The vertical wall 14 is adapted to be secured by fastening screws 18 to the inside of a furnace plenum wall adjacent to and covering an aperture 17 in said plenum wall. Secured to the wall 13 and extending parallel to wall 14' are the horizontally spaced metal bars 60 and 61 between which is secured a horizontal metal ribbon 62, of stainless steel, or the like. Secured to wall 13 is a transformer 63 having a secondary winding 64 and a primary winding 65. The respective terminal wires 66 and 67 of the secondary winding are connected to the metal bars 60 and 61. The terminal leads of the primary winding are connected respectively to the supply wires 39 and 40, as shown in FIGURE 6.

A conduit 23 extends through and is secured in wall 14 by clamping nuts 24' and Conduit 23' is provided at its inner end with a downwardly directed nozzle portion 68 located directly above the metal ribbon 62. Conduit 23 is connected to a water supply line through a solenoid valve 49 which is controlled in the same manner as in FIGURE 3.

When switch 41 closes, to energize blower motor 38, primary winding 65 is energized, and the output of secondary winding 64 causes the metal ribbon 62 to be heated to a high temperature. Solenoid valve 49 is simultaneously energized to a degree in accordance with the demand for humidification detected by humidistat 53, whereby a correspondingly regulated amount of water is admitted to conduit '23 and is discharged through nozzle 68 onto the heated metal ribbon 62, The water is vaporized by the hot ribbon and the water vapor is carried along in the furnace hot air flow.

It will be readily apparent that devices such as above described may be employed to control the relative humidity in any enclosed space, other than a hot air furnace plenum, such as in a sickroom, a textile weaving room, or the like.

It will be further apparent that additives may be intr-oduced into the water supplied to devices such as above described, so that room air may be chemically treated, for example, to remove undesirable odors or to add desirable ones.

While certain specific embodiments of humidifying devices have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid vaporizing device comprising a support adapted to be mounted in an enclosure, an inductor mounted on said support and having a primary winding, means to connect said primary winding to an alternating current source, electrically heated liquid vaporizing means mounted on said support, means inductively coupling said vaporizing means to said inductor primary winding, whereby to heat the vaporizing means responsive to energization of said primary winding, a liquid inlet conduit arranged to open into said enclosure, means to expose liquid passing through said conduit directly to said vaporizing means, blower means arranged to discharge into said enclosure, a pivotally mounted flap valve normally sealingly engaging the end of said conduit, and means to open said flap valve responsive to air flow produced by said blower means.

2.. In combination, an enclosure, a liquid inlet conduit leading into and opening in said enclosure, said inlet conduit including a short-circuited conductive loop, means to induce an electric heating current in said loop of sufiicient magnitude to vaporize liquid admitted into said conduit, pivoted flap valve means normally sealingly engaging the end of said inlet conduit, and means swinging said flap valve means to an open position responsive to air flow through said enclosure.

3. Means to introduce water vapor into air in an enclosure, comprising a support, means to mount said support in the enclosure, a core of magnetic material mounted on said support, a primary winding on said core, means to connect said primary winding to an alternating current source, a water inlet conduit of electrically conductive material having a short-circuited loop surrounding said core and adapted to be inductively heated from said primary winding, said conduit being provided with air movement-responsive, normally closed valve means normally preventing flow of fluid through the conduit, and means opening said valve means responsive to the movement of air adjacent the end of said conduit, whereby to allow vaporized water from the conduit to mix with the air.

4. In combination, an enclosure, means to move air through said enclosure, a support mounted in the enclosure, an inductor mounted on said support and having a primary winding, means to connect said primary winding to an alternating current source, a water line, electrically heated water vaporizing means mounted on said support and located to receive water from said line, means inductively coupling said vaporizing means to said inductor primary winding, whereby to heat the vaporizing means responsive to energization of said primary Winding, normally closed air movement-respon-sive valve means controlling the flow of fluid past said vaporizing means and normally preventing such flow, and means to open said valve means concurrently with the movement of air through the enclosure, whereby to allow water vapor to mix with the air.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS HARRY B.

6 Magney 126-113 X Platt.

Arnaud 219-1051 Knight. Boyle 126-113 Gross 126-113 THORNTON, Primary Examiner. RICHARD M. WOOD, Examiner. 

1. A LIQUID VAPORIZING DEVICE COMPRISING A SUPPORT ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED IN AN ENCLOSURE, AN INDUCTOR MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT AND HAVING A PRIMARY WINDING, MEANS TO CONNECT SAID PRIMARY WINDING TO AN ALTERNATING CURRENT SOURCE, ELECTRICALLY HEATED LIQUID VAPORIZING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT, MEANS INDUCTIVELY COUPLING SAID VAPORIZING MEANS TO SAID INDUCTOR PRIMARY WINDING, WHEREBY TO HEAT THE VAPORIZING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO ENERGIZATION OF SAID PRIMARY WINDING, A LIQUID INLET CONDUIT ARRANGED TO OPEN INTO SAID ENCLOSURE, MEANS TO EXPOSE LIQUID PASSING THROUGH SAID CONDUIT DIRECTLY TO SAID VAPORIZING MEANS, BLOWER MEANS ARRANGED TO DISCHARGE INTO SAID ENCLOSURE, A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED FLAP VALVE NORMALLY SEALINGLY ENGAGING THE END OF SAID CONDUIT, AND MEANS TO OPEN SAID FLAP VALVE RESPONSIVE TO AIR FLOW PRODUCED BY SAID BLOWER MEANS. 